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Old December 16th 16, 12:04 AM posted to sci.space.history
Scott M. Kozel[_2_]
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Default The Space Race was about Power Projection - Miles O'Brien

On Thursday, December 15, 2016 at 10:12:46 AM UTC-5, Stuf4 wrote:
From Scott M. Kozel:
On Monday, December 12, 2016 at 6:31:27 AM UTC-5, Stuf4 wrote:

snip
By simply *testing* a full-up ICBM, you would be starting a war.


How would any other country know that it had a nuclear warhead when it was launched?


I don't know (more on that in my reply just now to David).

The specific case I was referring to was when a country announces that it will be conducting a test of a nuclear warhead.

Announcing that you're launching an ICBM with a nuclear warhead has never been done.

*Loads* more questions hinge on what you are asking.


They would not know unless it was announced in advance.

A more basic problem with a test ICBM with a live nuclear warhead, would be what if the missile went awry, no telling whether it might come down in your country or someone else's country. If it had a self-destruct package, that could fail. For those reasons alone, it would not have been a wise test..